Salads in warm weather are always a hit. My daughter loves Caesar Salad and so do I. The tang of the lemon juice, garlic, and the saltiness of the background note of the anchovy is a delight for the senses. I love this salad in so many ways. Ina Garten often mentions how empowering it is to master a recipe and change it up with various ingredients. This is exactly what I do with Caesar Salad. I often top it with grilled chicken, steak, fish, or even mushrooms. It is so hearty with toasted garlic bread and I often serve it with a glass of chilled white wine or a glass of iced tea. In either case, it’s a delicious meal and is easy to prepare. It’s especially good in spring and summer. I love it with homemade dressing, but in a pinch I use a quality bottled dressing like Girards Caesar Dressing. Dressing recipe courtesy of chef Eric Ripert.

1 Head Romaine Lettuce

1 Pkg of Croutons (or make your own)

1/4 c Shaved Parmesean Cheese

Fresh Caesar Salad Dressing:

2 large egg yolks

4 anchovy filets, chopped

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In the jar of a blender, combine yolks, anchovy, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and season with cracked pepper. With the blender on medium speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil until well incorporated; season dressing with salt.

Season the chicken, fish, steak or portabello mushrooms and grill. Reserve.

Rinse/wash the Romaine lettuce discard bruised 1/4 inch of the top of the head and the bottom core. Slice head in about 1 inch strips and dry in a salad spinner or use a clean dish towel to dry after rinsing if you don’t have a spinner, just be sure the leaves are dry so the delicious dressing sticks to each and every leaf. Refrigerate the lettuce so that it gets crisp and cold while you make the dressing.

Toss the salad with the dressing and shaved parmesean. Arrange on the plate. Add sliced grilled mushroom, chicken or steak. If you are using fish, do not cut, just place the filet on top of the plate. Enjoy.

Variations: I have added baby spinach, grape tomatoes, and chopped crisp bacon to this salad.

Welcome to my food blog. Yes, I am a foodie! I love food! I love to cook good food…have food prepared for me…share recipies….eat in fine restaurants…eat in a small diner…eat in my sister’s kitchen (she’s a pretty good cook too)…if it’s good food…I’m in! So I decided to blog about my food choices.

Staying In Shape

If I have to pay the price by doing what is necessary to keep my health in check then it is worth it to me to eat what I like. And sometimes, what I like is healthy, nutritious, and flavorful. Othertimes, it’s just flavorful! So from here on out, if its good, I’ll be sharing it here on Delectable!

Learning From The Best…Julia…Martha…Food Network…et.al

I’ve loved experimenting with food since I first learned how to cook as a child. I grew up with Julia Child, Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet), Jacque Pepin and Justin Wilson and Martha Stewart. Not to “dis” Martha, but I enjoyed her many other talents besides cooking, and became a fan of hers in the kitchen as the years went by. I have the utmost respect for Martha, because she has tried and tested all of her recipies and they work, if you like the ingredients, then it’s bound to be good, and she gives excellent directions. Martha is so much more than food…she has a sense of style and that is what she teaches America…her sense of style…If you walk in my home, you know I am influenced greatly by Martha Stewart from my kitchen and bath to my hobbies…organization is key…there is a place for everything…this is what Martha has taught Americans for years. Martha I love you!

Now my time with television and the kitchen is spent with the Food Network. I am an avid viewer of the Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and Alton Brown, Giada DeLaurentis, and Michael Chiarello. The rest of the lot are hit and miss, but these six, I guarantee will not dissapoint you. I’ve tried their recipies over and over and they never dissapoint. I would be remiss not to mention Paula Deen. She’s a great resource for comfort food, but I could not afford the daily onslaught of calories she packs…so I have to reserve her fare for that once in a while treat when you gotta have something decadent, comforting, and rich….yes, that’s my take on Ms. Paula Deen…Paula I love you!

My new favorites include Gina and Pat Neely, (although I admit, I have not tried any of their recipes yet because it looks like they’ve added a new twist to some traditional favorites like collard greens, potato salad, and more), Sunny Anderson (who brings an international flair to her food), and Aaron McCargo, Jr. (who steps out there with flavor that does not seem complicated or labor intense recipes) . Not that I am opposed to trying new recipes, but tampering with the way “my mother” did it, is not motivating me to try them just yet….perhaps in time…stay tuned.

International Cusines

I love all kinds of food from around the world. Having African roots, I enjoy West African food from the region including “ground nut” soup (a soup made with peanut butter, chicken, fish and vegetables)…potato leaves (a main course made with the leaves of the sweet potato and has meat, chicken, and fish)… lemon pepper chicken (a spicy baked chicken that has been seasoned with lemon, tomato, peanut butter and spices)…and the many preparations of God’s gifts from the sea…the dishes are spicy, varied and flavorful. I love Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Hungarian, Thai, Mexican, the list goes on! I think I could find something I like to eat in any cusine. So stay tuned folks, I will do my best to share photos, recipies, and my opinion of some good food right here on Delectable.

Hi, My name is Cynthia Bardwell. I wear many hats in life, a mother, a sister, a cousin, an aunt, a teacher, an artist/designer, a crafter, a travelerm a host and a friend. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my talents in the kitchen, my love for food and all good things that I have been blessed with in my life with others through this blog.

It started out as a way to share good food, but I am so thankful for many things, I thought it was appropriate to express my gratitude to others of whatever moves me. So join in on the fun, lets see where spirit takes us and explore the culinary world together. Your feedback is always welcomed!

Enjoy Food! Enjoy Life!

I love cooking, eating and sharing good food with family and friends. Bread is the staff of life...I read that in a Biblical context once, and it resonates within my soul. I do so enjoy sharing good food. As a mother with an empty nest, I miss cooking for my family...my mother - Lucille who has passed on, oh, how she loved to experiment in the kitchen. I think I got my love for culinary exploration from her, she was a very good Southern cook! My daughter who is away at college and still loves to eat my "food. has very discriminating taste, and yet is a willing participant of my culinary pursuits." In spite of these life altering events, I still find plenty of extended family and friends who are willing to be my test subjects for new and old recipes.

Cooking is a passion, hobby & past time I really enjoy. So check back often and see what's cooking. Say hello, I'd love to hear from you, especially those who are brave enough to try my selected culinary treats...some from my kitchen, some from the cookbooks of the rich and famous and some that were handed down from my grandmother's grandmother...it's all good! In the words of my mentor Julia Child...Bon Appetite!